Final fantasy Crisis core makes a blast to the psp scene (Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP))

Member Name: jbsk2009

Product:	Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP)
Date:	30/07/09 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fav characters return, great story, excellent graphics

Disadvantages: Gameplay a bit fiddly, story may be predictable to ff7 gamers.

Final Fantasy is back again! But this time it comes on yor portable psp so you can carry it round with you every where you go! Final Fantasy Crisis core is actually a preque to one of the world's most famous RPG (Final fantasy 7) Therefore, you may see the return of some of our favourite characters like Cloud, Aerith and Sephiroth. With a new combat system and an emotional story. Will this game be a blast?

*First impressions*

I must say that i was awed my the fantastic opening scene which introduces Zack, the character who you'll be playing with. As usual, the graphics are amazing. The combat system was a bit fiddly at first and was a bit hard to get used to because its different to the traditional turn based gameplay but it actually turns out to be quite fun after a while.

8/10 for first impressions

*Characters*

Zack - Zack is a somewhat cocky and energetic soldier operative. He is the character who you will be playing with throughout the whole game.

Sephiroth - Another soldier who is part of Shinra.

Genesis - we could call him the fallen soldier, Genesis will be the main antagonist in this game.

Cloud - our beloved cloud, he appears in this game as a Shinra Infantryman who is befriended by Zack, he too also hopes to one day be a soldier.

Aerith - A young woman who lives in the slums and tends to the flowers that grow there.

As you can see from the above list, you will see some main characters which also appear in final fantasy 7, However, i think it would be nice if we can actually play as the other characters throughout the game, because we CANT. And sometimes it does get quite boring using Zack all the time.

9/10 for bringing back great characters.

*Story*

As previously stated the story starts a few years before the final fantasy game on PS1, the story follows Zack a soldier who dreams of getting to the top of the ranks. He starts of taking mssions from his mentor named Angeal who then disappears, and is believed to have gone bad. At this point, its now up to Zack to investigate the evil plans that bad guy Genesis has waiting for Zack and his fellow comrades.

I enjoyed the story overall because it felt complete and not cut through half way. The story isnt your typical "lets save the world" story but actually builds up our attachment to the characters by focusing closely on the relationships eacxh character has with each other. However, what i did not enjoy was the fact that those loyal gamers who have played final fantasy 7 will inevitably know the ending of final fantasy crisis core because final fantasy effectively follows final fantasy crisis core. It can therefore, be very predictable to those gamers who have played final fantasy 7.

8/10 for the story being very well developed. However, may be predictable to loyal fans of final fantasy.

*Gameplay*

The gameplay is completely different from the traditional turn based combat games which you would see in mot other final fanatsy games. Instead, this game is classed as an Action RPG. You can dodge, block and also attack and cast spells by simply cycling through the options at the bottom of the screen. I find it hard to cycle across this menu fast enough whilst also trying to dodge or block the enemy and this change in gameplay will require a bit of getting used to. However most battles can be won by button mashing on the attack button so that can be a minus point of the combat system.

Another very interesting aspect of the combat system can be the soldier points earned from fighting in the battle,these soldier points enter a slot i the top left hand corner of the screen and turns the slot. After the slot is turned, you have a chance of matching 3 characters or matching 3 numbers, or matching both 3 characters and 3 numbers. Matching 3 same characters will then initiate a "power surge" which allows you to initiate a powerful attack which will nearly almost allow you to destroy your enemies. I really like this feature because the cutscene which appears when the power surge occurs adds an extra oomph to the game. Matching 3 numbers will allow you to level up your character.

I like this system because it makes battles more static and involves more interaction with the entire gameplay system. It also allows a tactical viewpoint to be taken by the gamer. However, i sometimes feel that the outcome of a battle will depend more on luck on whether you will get power surges or not rather than the skill of the gamer. All in all, i feel that it may be hard to get used to at first.

I would say that the gameplay would last for approximately 24 hours so it is quite in depth.

8/10 for gameplay, the new style of gaeplay adds a bit of oomph to the traditional system but may be hard to get used to.

*Graphics*

Do i really have to tell you about the graphics? The enitre final fantasy series is known for its amazing graphics. The cutscenes really are breathtaking and you will be in awe when watching them. The actual gameplay graphics are also very detailed and very well presented so top points there.

10/10 for graphics: Amazing

*Sound*

The soundtrack was released in 2007 and you will be hearing various music from final fantasy favourite composer Nobuo Uematsu who has composed the most amazing pieces of music ever. For those who are familiar with the japanese music scene, Ayaka also makes an appearance with her hit song Why which is the ending theme of final fantasy crisis core.

9/10 for amazing music.

*Summary*

Overall, Final fantasy crisis core is a must have for any psp owner. The game has been positively recieved by the majority of gamer and most magazines or professional games will probably give it and excellent if not an above average score.

Summary: An overall fantastic game which deserves 5 stars due to its unique presentation